Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise device and, more particular to a portable collaborative exercise device that is simultaneously mutually beneficial for exercising partners.
Description of Related Art
Conventional exercise devices using adjustable inelastic straps are well known and have been in use for a number of years. Regrettably, most conventional exercise devices using adjustable inelastic straps suffer from obvious disadvantages in that they are used for exercising by only one individual and without a partner rather than a simultaneous workout with a partner. An important drawback of most conventional exercise devices using adjustable inelastic straps is that the maximum resistance provided is limited by the full body weight of the exercising individual. A further drawback is that they are tailored for exercise routines to workout the upper body rather than both upper and lower body. That is, most do not have the means to provide a complete set of exercises for a lower body and upper body workouts.
Since the conventional exercise devices using adjustable inelastic straps require the use of an immobile (stationary or static) stable structure as an anchor (for safety) to counter the body weight of the exercising individual, the resistance and the resistance-vector provided by the static stationary anchor during execution of the exercise is obviously also constant. This constant resistance and the resistance-vector provided by the static and stationary anchor means that the exercising individual's counteracting force and counteracting force-vector in relation to the provided resistance and resistance-vector is also constant, which reduces efficiencies in terms of building and strengthening muscles.
Additionally, most conventional exercise devices (including conventional adjustable inelastic straps that are used for exercise) may only provide resistance and resistance-vector to maximize only one of a concentric, eccentric, or isometric contractions of the muscle during its full range of motion while exercising, rather than all three types of contractions for the same exercise. That is, most conventional exercise devices do not isolate muscle contractions in terms of concentric, eccentric, and isometric contractions, but apply the same resistance for the full range of motion of the muscle (this even includes the use of free weights such as dumbbells). For example, using the full body weight (i.e., a constant resistance), a user of a conventional adjustable inelastic strap may maximize concentric contractions of a particular muscle group during a first part of the exercise while providing a much less efficient isometric and eccentric contractions of the same muscle group during a remaining range of motion of the same muscles for the same exercise. That is, the eccentric contractions may require a higher level of resistance for a more efficient workout (maximum yield in muscle capacity and increased strength) verses the concentric contractions, which may not be accomplished if the same constant resistance (i.e., maximum body weight) is applied to both concentric and eccentric contractions.
Further, most conventional adjustable inelastic straps that are used for exercise lack the needed adaptive response in terms of resistance and resistance vector to compensate for unbalanced strengths between symmetrical muscle groups (e.g., right-side verses the left side muscle groups of an exercising individual for the same, identical exercise routine). In most cases, unbalanced strengths between symmetrical muscle groups leads to injury or greater increase in imbalance in strength between the muscle groups as the stronger muscle groups tend to dominate and compensate for the weaker.
Additionally, most conventional exercising devices (free weights, machine weights, or adjustable inelastic straps, etc.) that are used for exercise lack the needed adaptive response in terms of resistance and resistance vector to immediately stop an exercise routine if the exercising individual incorrectly performs the exercise. With almost all conventional exercising devices, incorrect application of resistance may lead to injury without any means to stop the resistance on time. For example, when using free weights, by the time an exercising individual abruptly drops the free weights due to feeling of pain as a result of incorrect lifting of the weight (incorrect application of resistance), the body may have already experienced minor injury.
Accordingly, in light of the current state of the art and the drawbacks to current exercising devices mentioned above, a need exists for a portable, collaborative exercise device that would enable participation of an exercising partner, not limit the maximum resistance to the body weight of the exercising individual, and would provide full exercise routine for both the upper and lower body. Further, a need exists for such an exercise device that would be simultaneously mutually beneficial for exercising partners with one exercising by providing a continuously changing resistance and resistance-vector while simultaneously the other exercising by providing a continuously adapting (or altering) counteracting force and counteracting force-vector to the continuously changing resistance and resistance vector. In addition, a need exists for an exercise device that would enable correct application of resistance between symmetrical set of muscles with unbalanced strengths, and enable immediate ceasing of an exercise routine if the resistance is incorrectly applied.